Published at Fakti.org, translated by Mario Andrijasevic exclusively for SouthFront
United States is ready for military solution in Syria, said Joseph Biden. And right after that he added: “…If a political solution won´t be possible.” He even said: “We don´t even know if the political solution would be better”.
Biden said this while he was having a speech at a press conference with the Turkish premier Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul. A day before a ground operation in Iraq and Syria was also announced by the United States Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.
Davutoglu stressed that Ankara´s goal is “cleaning” a border with Syria:
“Turkey wants to cleanse the borders of IS soldiers and the US is giving us their support in this. Together we express concern that Russia´s air operations may interfere with this fight. Turkey does not want on its borders nor the Islamic state, nor the Kurdistan Workers Party or the Syrian government forces of Bashar Assad. ”
Davutoglu said that for him there is no difference between the Islamic state, or Jabhat al-Nusra or the Kurdistan Workers’ Party.
Biden and Davutoglu also discussed how the two NATO allies could further support Sunni Arab rebel forces fighting to oust President Bashar al-Assad.
The United States has sent dozens of special forces soldiers to help rebels fighting Islamic State in Syria although the troops are not intended for front line combat.
Biden strongly criticized the PKK which is designated a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey.
Americans and Turks are with no doubt surprised by the success of the Russian air forces and the subsequent successes of the Syrian Arab army.
Turkish media reports that Russia uses a civilian airport in Syrian city Qamishli which is currently controlled by the Kurds. Hence the Carter´s and Davutoglu’s ground operation “Cleansing”.
Otherwise, Qamishli is located in the Syrian province of al-Hasaka, and the Turkish media claim that their airport has been visited by about 100 Russian officers and military experts who thoroughly checked all the airport (which was used by the Syrian 154-th air regiment of the Assad’s army).
Between Qamishli and neighboring Turkish city of Nusaybin is a large minefield. Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Tugrul Turkes said that Moscow will probably keep a small military contingent at Qamishli, but said that they pose no threat to a country which is a member of NATO.
Since the Russian missile systems S-400 appeared in Syria – Turkish warplanes no longer fly over the air space of the country. Upon the explicit request of the Americans.
” Turkey does not want on its borders nor the Islamic state, nor the Kurdistan Workers Party or the Syrian government forces of Bashar Assad.” – That’s alright, he can have Russian troops on his borders instead. :)